North Korea’s ruling party stepped up its outreach to China this week, as senior foreign affairs official Kim Song Nam wrapped up an official visit to Beijing where he met with top Chinese officials. 

The visit by Kim, who heads the International Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), places party-to-party relations at the center of the two socialist states’ decadeslong friendship, while setting the stage for further economic and political cooperation.

At home, the Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea held its 10th Congress, where the party called on farmers to modernize